Of the seven headsets originally planned, Apple is said to have narrowed the selection down to just two: nothing else. This drastic change of course was reportedly personally approved by Apple's future CEO, John Ternus.
Nearly a year ago, Ming-Chi Kuo outlined a comprehensive roadmap for Apple's Vision products – now comes an update that drastically reduces the list. According to this update, Apple will focus almost exclusively on eyewear in the future, while the other plans have been removed from the roadmap. This stands in some contrast to earlier statements from Cupertino, such as when Ternus, referring to the Vision Pro, emphasized that they were "only at the beginning." It is precisely this same Ternus who is now said to be responsible for the new, significantly streamlined approach.
Of seven plans, two remain
Last June, Kuo stated that Apple had seven head-worn devices in various stages of development. One of these, the Vision Pro with an M5 chip, has since been released. However, according to the updated report, only two of the six remaining products are still actively being developed.
Specifically, there are two types of glasses: one is a display-less AI headset, slated for release in 2027, and the other is an AR/XR headset equipped with a display, now planned for 2029. The display-equipped version will reportedly utilize optical waveguides. All other devices – including all potential successors to the Vision Pro – have been removed from the roadmap. This puts the long-rumored Apple Glasses at the heart of Apple's ambitions in the field of wearable displays.
The designated CEO as a driving force
What's particularly noteworthy is who is said to be behind the course correction. According to Kuo, Apple's next CEO has approved the fundamental overhaul of the roadmap. This decision would thus coincide directly with the handover at the top of the company and mark one of the first visible strategic directions of the new leadership.
This would have far-reaching consequences for the Vision division: instead of a broad product family with several headset generations, it would all boil down to just two headsets. In this scenario, the Vision Pro would remain a standalone product without an immediately planned successor.
This contradicts recent reports
As definitive as the report sounds, it clashes with other information. Just this week, another well-connected source stated that Apple is indeed working on a slimmer and lighter headset as a successor to the $3,499 Vision Pro. However, a market launch is not expected until 2028 or 2029 at the earliest.
This is particularly interesting because the same source had previously reported that Apple had shifted its full focus to smart glasses and had no active plans for a Vision Pro successor. There are two plausible explanations for this discrepancy: either the current roadmap report is based on older information, or a potential successor is still in such an early stage of development that it doesn't appear in any roadmap. Other reports also indicate that Vision Pro development is continuing despite internal restructuring.
What WWDC could bring
Clarity could soon be provided by the upcoming developer conference. VisionOS 27, the next major software update for the Vision Pro, is due to be released, and should at least give an impression of how serious Apple remains about the platform. The specific new features the Vision Pro can expect with VisionOS 27 are already known in outline – the keynote should provide more details.
The glasses move to the center, the headset to the edge
Should the report prove true, Apple is making a remarkable shift: away from the high-priced, technologically advanced headset, towards lighter, more everyday-use glasses. This would be less a withdrawal from the category than a shift in priorities – the Vision Pro would have fulfilled its role as an expensive showcase of technology, while the future lies in a more accessible form factor.
However, the conflicting sources argue against a hasty interpretation. As long as two reputable reports paint different pictures, it remains unclear whether Vision Pro truly has no successor or whether its successor is simply too early to appear in a roadmap. The coming months – starting with the developer conference – should reveal which direction prevails under the new leadership. (Image: Shutterstock / Peshkova)
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